Rear sight for firearms



33-241. OR 1.935790%?5 SR E. M. W. KAEMPFER. REAR SIGHT FOR FIREARMS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, 1919.

1,357,095. Patented Oct. 26,1920.

UNITED STATES EFFIE MAY WAGNER KAEMPFER, OF LAIREDO', TEXAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

REAR SIGHT non. FIREARMS.

Patented Oct. 26, 1920.

Application filed October 28, 1919. Serial No. 333,896.

T 0 all whom it may concern e it known that I, Errm M. V. KAE P- FER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Laredo, in the county of Webb and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rear Sights for Firearms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to improvements in sights for firearms, comprising rifles, pistols, shot guns, or other types of guns, or even for ordnance, in which it is desired to provide a luminious auxiliary rear sight to be used at night to enable the marksman to point the piece in the proper direction when the ordinary sights are not visible.

I have shown one embodiment of the invention as applied to the rear sight of a rifle, whereby the rifle may be pointed with facility either by night or day.

My invention will be more fully understood after reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are indicated by similar reference symbols throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ordinary service rifle provided with the improved auxiliary rear sight.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the ordinary rear sight for use by day, and the auxiliary rear sight for use by night, the parts being on a much larger scale than in Fig. 1, and the auxiliary rear sight being shown in the raised or operative position.

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2, exce t that the housing for the auxiliary rear sig t is shown partly in section to expose the parts contained therein, and the pivoted sight block is shown in full lines in the lowered or inoperative position, and in dotted lines in the raised or operative position.

Fig. 4 shows a section along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 shows a section along the broken line 5-5 of Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation on a somewhat larger scale of a slightly modified form of pivoted sight block, parts being broken away.

vided with the usual front sight B, and with a luminous attachment 6, such as is shown in my copending application filed of even date herewith and entitled Im rovements in front sights for firearms, file October 28, 1919, Serial No. 333,895. a

The piece is provided with the usual recelver carrying the usual or any suitable rear sight D, adapted for ordinary use by day. I do not claim any invention in this ordinary day sight, as I prefer to use my improved attachment in connection with sights of standard types, and I will not further describe the day sight D.

E represents a housing in which the auxiliary sight block and its leaf spring are mounted. This housing may be of built-up structure, but is preferably a single casting brazed or otherwise secured to the receiver C of the piece. This housing is provided with side walls 6, one of which is cut away, as at e", and these two side walls are connected together by the webs e and c slightly spaced apart to permit the passage between the same of the front end of the leaf spring F, which spring is provided with a lug f adapted to abut against the web 6 when the spring is in place, as shown in Fig. 3, and the spring is held in position by a screw bolt G engaging in rear of said lug f, as shown in Fig. 3.

The auxiliary sight block H is pivoted on the screw bolt I, and its rear face 71. is centrally notched, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and on either side of the notch I provide pockets h in which the luminous compound K, preferably a radium composition, is mounted, as shown most clearly in Fig.6.

In front of its pivot, the block is provided with a shoulder 72. adapted to rest upon the face (Z of the frame of the usual rear sight D when the auxiliary rear sight is in the raised or operative position, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. 9

This block H is provided with an inclined boss h perforated with a pivot pin, which boss is provided with the toe h adapted to engage the leaf spring, and to coact with said spring in holding this block H in either the raised or lowered position as may be desired.

In order to conveniently raise the pivot block H from the lower or closed position to the raised or open position, I provide suitable lifting means, such as a lug h, shown in Fig. 5, which lug swings down into and projects slightly beyond the curved slot e cut in one of the side walls 6 of the housing E, and this lug may be conveniently engaged by one of the fingers of the marksman and the block may be swung to the open position where it will be held by the leaf spring F.

Instead of providing the lug h I may provide a. notch or notches, such as it, see Fig. 6, in the rear face of the block H, which notch may be engaged either by the thumb nail of the marksman, or it may be engaged by the rim of a cartridge, or by a knife blade, or the like.

It will be noted that the spring F will act upon the heel of the pivot block H in such a. way as to hold it in either the raised or lowered position.

When this block is in the lowered position, the pockets h are closed by the upper face of the web e as shown in Fig. 3, and thus the luminous compound K in said pockets is protected from dust, dirt, or light.

In carrying the piece on the march, or storing the same away at all times when not desired to use the piece for night firing, this block H is preferably swung down to the closed position, as shown in Fig. 3, and the parts are protected against accidental injury, while when it is desired to use the sight for night firing it is only a matter of a moment to swing the block H to the raised position shown in Figs. 2, 4c and 5. hen the gun is properly pointed at night, the luminous front portion 5 of the front sight will appear midway between the luminous material inclosed in the pockets h; .the three luminous points then being as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5.

It will be noted that at night it will be ordinarily impracticable to see the object aimed at at long distance, and therefore it will only be necessary under normal conditionsto provide for sighting the piece at point blank range, or at a very small elevation only, which can be readily done by the luminous front and rear sight arrangements as herein described and shown.

In order to dismount the parts of the auxiliary rear sight, it will only he neces sary to take out the screw bolt I and remove the block H and take out the screw bolt G and remove the leaf spring F. To assemble the parts, reverse the operation.

The housing E is preferably permanently attached to the piece, but it may be detachably connected thereto in any convenient way, if desired.

I have shown one embodiment of the invention which is of simple construction and not likely to get out of order from the rough handling to which firearms are ordinarily subjected when in use; but it will be evident that various modifications might be made in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts Which could be used without departing from the spirit of my invention; and I do not mean to limit the invention to such details except as particularly pointed out in the claims.

It will be obvious also that the herein described auxiliary rear sight may be used on firearms of various kinds, as well as 011 field guns, or other artillery, or ordnance, and I do not mean to limit the invention to any special type of weapon on which it 1s used.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The combination with a gun, and a sight secured thereto, of an auxiliary sight attachment for the gun comprising a vertically swinging block having a notched arm with pockets therein at each side of said notch, said pockets containing luminous composition, and means for holding said block in the raised or lowered position, relative to the gun.

2. The combination with a gun, and a sight secured thereto, of an auxiliary sight attachment for the gun comprising a vertr ca-lly swinging block having a notched arm with pockets therein at each side of said notch, said pockets containing luminous composition, and a leaf spring engaging said block and holding the same in the raised or lowered position, relative to the gun.

3. The combination with a gun, of a sight therefor, comprising a housing secured to the gun, a swinging sight block pivoted in said housing, said block having an; arm with pockets therein containing luminous material, and automatic means for holding said block in the raised or lowered position, relative to the gun.

4. The combination with a gun, of a sighting apparatus therefor comprising a housing secured to the gun, a vertically swinging sight block pivoted in said housing, said block having a notched arm with pockets therein, on each side of said notch, said pockets containing luminous material, and means for holding said block in the raised or lowered position, relative to the gun.

The combination with a gun, of a sight ing apparatus therefor comprising a housing secured to the gun, a vertically swinging sight block pivoted in said housing, said block having a notched arm with pockets therein, on each side of said notch, said pockets containing luminous material, and a leaf spring engaging the heel of said block and holding the block in the raised or lowered position relative to the gum.

6. The combination with a gun, of a sighting apparatus therefor comprising a housing carried by the gun and provided with a transverse web, a vertically swinging sight block pivoted in said housing and provided with pockets containing luminous material adapted to be masked by said web when the auxiliary block is in the lowered position, and automatic means for holding said auxiliary block in the raised or lowered position, relative to the gun.

7. The combination with a gun, of a sighting apparatus therefor comprising a housing carried by the gun and provided with a transverse web, a vertically swinging sight block pivoted in said housing and provided with pockets containing luminous material adapted to be masked by said web when the auxiliary block is in the lowered posi tion, and a leaf spring also mounted in said housing and engaging said block and automatically holding the same in the raised or lowered position, relative to the gun.

8. The combination with a gun, of a sighting apparatus therefor comprising a housing carried by the gun and provided with side walls, one which is slotted, of a swinging sight block pivoted in said housing and provided with pockets containing luminous material, and with a lug registering with the slot in said side wall, and automatic means for holding said block in the raised or lowered position, relative to the gun.

9. The combination with a gun, of a sighting apparatus therefor comprising a ho-using carried by the gun and provided with side walls, one which is slotted, of a swinging auxiliary sight block pivoted in said housing and provided with pockets containing luminous material, and with a lug registering with the slot in said side wall, and a leaf spring also mounted in said housing and engaging said auxiliary block and automatically holding the same in the raised or lowered position, relative to the gun.

10. The combination with a gun, of an auxiliary rear sight therefor comprising a housing secured to the gun in rear of the usual rear sight, a swinging sight block pivoted in said housing, said block having an arm with pockets therein containing luminous material, and automatic means for holding said block in the raised or lowered position, relative to the gun.

11.. The combination with a gun, of a sighting apparatus therefor comprising a housing secured to the gun, a vertically swinging sight block pivoted in said housing, said block having a notched arm with raised or lowered position, relative to the,

gun.

12. The combination with a gun, of a sighting apparatus therefor comprising the usual rear sight and rear sight frame carried by the gun, a housing secured to the gun in rear of said sight, a vertically swinging auxiliary sight block pivoted in said housing, said block having a notched arm with pockets therein, on each side of said notch, said pockets containing luminous material, and said block having a shoulder adapted to engage a part of the frame of said rear sight, and a leaf spring engaging the heel of said block and holding the block in the raised or lowered position, relative to the gun.

13. The combination with a gun, of a sighting apparatus therefor comprising the usual rear sight and rear sight frame carried by the gun, a housing carried by the gun in rear of said sight and provided with a transverse web, a vertically swinging sight block pivoted in said housing and provided with pockets containing lLllIliIlOllS material adapted tobe masked by said web when the auxiliary block is in the lowered position, and said block having a shoulder adapted to engage a part of the frame of said rear sight, and a leaf spring also mounted in said housing and engaging said block and automatically holding the same in the raised or lowered position, relative to the gun.

14:. The combination with a gun, of a sighting apparatus therefor comprising the usual rear sight and rear sight frame carried by the gun, a housing carried by the gun in rear of said sight, and provided with side walls, one of which is slotted, a swinging auxiliary sight block pivoted in said housing and provided with pockets containing luminous material, and wit-h a lug registering with the slot in said side wall, and said block having a shoulder adapted to engage a part of the frame of said rear sight, and a leaf spring also mounted in said housing and engaging said auxiliary block and automatically holding the same in the raised or lowered position, relative to the gun.

EFFIE MAY WAGNER KAEMPFER. 

